Germ-destroyer for telephone-mouthpieces.



No. 663,995. Patented Dec. I8, 1900.

L. L. LACEY.

GERM DESTBOYER FOB TELEPHONE MOUTHPiECES.

(Application fi led Apr. 20, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: VENTOH lewolifiarexz 0Za;% E gamm r NORRIS pnzns 00.. Fnoroumm wasnmcron, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS LORENZO LACEY, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

GERM-DESTROYER FOR TELEPHONE-MOUTHPIECES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,995, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed April 20. 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS LORENZO LAOEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Germ-Destroyers for Telephone-Mouthpieces,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for destroyin g disease-germs in the mouthpieces of telephone transmitters; and the object of the same is to provide simple and efficient means for the purpose referred to which may be readily attached to ordinary telephones and which will not interfere with their operation.

It is recognized that the germs of contagious or infectious diseases may be transmitted from one person to the other by the use of the same mouthpiece andthat certain diseases, like tuberculosis and other pulmonary diseases, may be taken through the promiscuous use of the same transmitter of a telephone. The influence of the electric light on germs has been demonstrated, and the purpose of my invention is to destroy germs and baccilli by the use of an incandescent light placed within the mouthpiece of a telephonetransmitter. The disagreeable odor and uncleanliness of telephone-transmitters may be removed by the use of my invention. It is obvious that ordinary reagents cannot be used for this purpose, as they are both inconvenient and nauseating. My device is free from these objectionable features, as it is odorless, cleanly, and quite ornamental. It can be operated by means of the telephone-batteries or by a local battery, or it may be connected up to an incandescent-light circuit. It may be found necessary to vary the amount of current supplied, depending on the location of the telephone as to dampness or humidity. My device also prevents the transmitter from deteriorating by keeping it constantly dry. It can be easily fitted to any and all kinds of mouthpieces now in use, the expense of this installation being small and the cost of maintenance trifling. It is always ready for use and can be arranged to be automatic in operation.

In the drawings which accompany this specification and of which they form a part,l illustrate several ways of carrying out my invention.

Serial No. 13,605. (No model.)

of construction, as the apparatus may be modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a telephone with my device attached to it. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one form of my device. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly broken away, of another form of my device.

Like numerals of reference denote like parts wherever they occur in the drawings.

The numeral 1 designates one form of my device. It is cup-shaped and can be made of glass or other transparent material. The cup 1 has an inner wall 2 and an outer wall 3, with an intervening cavity 4. This cavity 4 is a hermetically-sealed vacuum and performs the functions ofan incandescent-electric-light bulb. It has mounted therein filaments 5,

such as are common in this class of electric lamps. Filaments 5 are provided with electric connections 6, which extend through the wall 3; The outer contour of the cup is adapted to conform with the inner contour of the mouthpiece of a telephone. An aperture 7 is formed in the bottom of the cup 1 to enable the sound to reach the diaphragm of the telephone. .Said cup 1 is placed in the mouthpiece 8 of the telephone 9, and. the connections 6 are attached to wires 10, which are in turn connected to abattery 11. The arm 12 of the telephone 9 can .be used to operate a circuit maker and breaker, as I can mount a contactpiece 14 on the arm 12 and insulate it'therefrom and a second contact-piece 15 on the box 16 of the telephone. By attaching one of the wires 10 to one of the said contactpieces and the other one of wires 10 to the other the circuit would be alternately made and broken by the hanging up and taking down of the hand 13. I might also arrange my apparatus so that the light would only be lighted during the time the telephone is in actual use.

Fig. 4 shows another form of my apparatus, which consists of an ordinary incandescent light of small size mounted in a mouthpiece of a telephone. The numeral 17 denotes said light, which is provided with connections 18. The operation of this form of my device is the same as the first form.

I do not wish to be limited as to details Having thus fully described my invention,

bulb, the outer contour of which conforms to 15 the inner contour of the mouthpiece of a telephone, a vacuum-chamber intermediate the Walls of said cup shaped bulb, filaments mounted in said vacuum-chamber, and electric connections to said filaments, substan- 2o tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LEWIS LORENZO LAOEY.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND HILL, F. A. LESLIE. 

